Incumbent wins Ghanaian presidential elections
Ghana's incumbent President John Mahama has been declared as the winner of the countries election, despite opposition claims of vote rigging.

According to the countries electoral commission, President Mahama, of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), won 50.7% of the vote, pimping opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo who received 47.74%, with voter turnout estimated at around 80%.

"Ladies and gentlemen, based on the results given, I declare John Dramani Mahama president-elect," confirmed electoral commission head Kwadwo Afari-Gyan in a press conference.

However, the New Patriotic Front (NPP) says that they intend to contest the result of the poll, laying accusations against NDC government officials of colluding with the electoral commission to rig the vote.

In an official statement released by the NPP, the opposition said: "This situation, if allowed to go unchallenged and uncorrected, would seriously damage the essence of the electoral process and the substance of democracy in Ghana".

"To accept this result is to discredit democracy in Ghana and, in the process, distort the process of democratisation in Africa. Therefore, the New Patriotic Party cannot accept the results of the presidential election as declared by the EC (election commission) this evening," added the NPP.

In response, President Mahama called on all political leaders to "respect the voice of the people", adding that "the voice of the people is the voice of God."

Opposition supporters gathered to protests the election result outside the commission's office; however they were soon dispersed by police who fired tear-gas at them.

The electoral commission office in the capital Accra, was been barricaded by police, with tanks on stand-by, as the result was being declared.

Ghana is home to one of the world's fastest growing economies, or rapid growth markets, and is currently hailed as one of the African continents stable democracies. CİHAN